Bering Sea Gold, Storage Wars, and Deadliest Catch Hit Maker Names Two Key Execs

BURBANK, Calif., Jan. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Original Productions (OP), a FremantleMedia Company, has promoted two staffers to pivotal positions in the mega producer's ranks.   Lisa Behlendorf has moved up to Vice President of Production from Senior Production Accountant, and Stewart Morris has been promoted to Head of Development from Vice President of Development, according to OP President and Executive Producer, Jeff Conroy.

"We are essentially taking everything we know as a springboard to new ways of storytelling and creating genre defining shows. Stewart and Lisa are an integral part of the new OP Team which is able to execute these most complex development to production challenges," said Conroy in making the announcement. Behlendorf and Morris report directly to Conroy. 

"Both Lisa and Stewart have been a vital part of the legacy we have built at Original Productions, and are now promoted to well deserved key leadership positions in their departments," stated Philip D. Segal, OP CEO and Executive Producer.

Currently, Original Productions has top ten hits on major cable including: Bering Sea Gold for Discovery which has just been renewed for a fourth season; The Legend of Shelby the Swamp Man, Appalachian Outlaws and Ax Men on History; and Storage Wars on A&E. The multi- Emmy® Award winner is producing its tenth season of mega hit Deadliest Catch set to premiere on Discovery later this spring amongst many others.

Lisa Behlendorf joined Original Productions in 2004 as Production Accountant. She has been instrumental with the financial aspects of OP on-location signature shows such as Deadliest Catch, Ax Men and Bering Sea Gold. Additionally, Behlendorf was the Corporate Accountant for OP's Max Post, post production facility from 2004 to 2010.

Prior to joining OP, Behlendorf worked as a production and post production accountant for seven years in feature films including American History X, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Blade. A Los Angeles native, Behlendorf is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Stewart Morris was part of the London based Original Productions UK Entertainment LLP group from its inception in 2006. In the summer of 2012 Morris moved to Original Productions in Los Angeles to join the OP team as Vice President of Development.

A native of Scotland, Morris began his career as a journalist at the South London Press, moving on to writing for The Mail on Sunday, Daily Mirror, Evening Standard, and the Sunday Times.

He joined the ranks of television at ITV Productions (formerly LWT) working his way up to become the Head of Entertainment Features. Morris' credits include creating or co-crediting hit shows such as I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Brainiac: Science Abuse and Hit Me Baby, One More Time.

Morris was educated in South Africa at Damelin College, Johannesburg; Rhodes University, Grahamstown; and in Essex at the prestigious NCTJ's Department of Journalism.

For more that's all Original log on to: www.origprod.com.

Media Contacts: Vendely Communications, 818-783-3707
Elizabeth Vendely, [email protected]
Maggie Nye, [email protected]

SOURCE Original Productions